Local Planning Policy Framework - Moreland City Council

Central Coburg 2020 Background Report [ PHASE 1: Research and Analysis ]
2.4 Urban Design and Open Space Analysis
Central Coburg Urban Design Analysis
Prepared by Jones and Whitehead, October 2001
SNAPSHOT
Issues
Making and Defining Links
? Coburg’s street pattern provides few alternatives for movement through the area
except along Sydney Road or Bell Street. The block sizes are large and routes are
often poorly defined and connected to surrounding streets. Consolidated street
blocks, the city oval and the Pentridge site are all factors is limiting connectivity.
Traffic patterns in the area are characterised by high volumes on the main roads
and very low in local streets.
Streets as Public Places
? The design of streets in Coburg tends to favour vehicular traffic over other forms
of travel. Clearways and narrowed or lack of proper footpaths have a negative
impact of the viability of the area for all but motorists.
Active Street Frontages
? There are a number of sites where development has a poor relationship with the
street. This includes residential blocks with back fences facing the street, the walls
of Pentridge, shops with inactive frontages and carparks replacing street access to
shops.
Built Form and Open Space
? With the exception of along Sydney Road, Coburg is suburban with large areas of
open space. This creates a dispersal of activities and encourages car use.
Carparks and Civic Spaces
? Existing car parks are hostile for pedestrians, separating land uses and
discouraging pedestrian activity.
Parks as Urban Spaces
? Central Coburg is generally well provided with public space. However many parks
are poorly accessed due to a lack of connecting streets, do not invite public use,
and do not encourage casual social activity.
Opportunities
? Consolidation in Coburg is encouraged to make better use of public transport
infrastructure and to provide the community with a greater breadth of services,
shopping and employment opportunities.
? The network of streets should be improved to extend and connect routes, provide
an interconnected network with small blocks, improve the clarity of routes and
accommodate vehicles and pedestrians on the same routes.
? To improve the street as a feature in its own right and to allow activities adjoining
the street to dominate clearways could be removed, footpaths could be widened
and trees planted.
? Activity in streetscapes could be encouraged by mixed use developments,
changed carpark layouts, added entries through Pentridge walls and changed
streetscape elements to create a human scale.
? Built form may be altered to provide for interest, activity, passive surveillance and
a sense of scale and architectural form through the total site coverage of
buildings, enclosure of streets by built form and a limited number of open spaces
designed for specific purposes.
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